Life Reimagined and the Promises of God (Lite)

September 14th, 2022
by T.J. Nichols

Small-Group-Sermon-Reflections-9.11.2022-76.docx

Opening Prayer & Check-in
Listen Up

Scripture Texts: 2 Peter 1:3-4
Sermon Preamble: Dr. Long began by restating the definition of stewardship which we are using for this Sermon Series Stewardship, which is: “Trusting in the promises of God, to deploy the resources of God, to accomplish the mission of God for the glory of God.” And that it was Dr. Long’s job to unpack the first segment of this definition so that we can wrestle with the implications of trusting the promises of God. Dr. Long noted that struggling with this is not new to Christians today. Then as now, it was a challenge to early Christians too as they attempted to make sense of God’s promises in light of their struggles such as oppression, rejection, and persecution. In fact, it was the Apostle Peter himself who, when about to be executed, penned the words of 2 Peter 1:3-4. Dr. Long went on to note that the promises of God are supposed to do something: They are to expound upon the character of God to produce a divine nature in us.
The bottom line here is this: Promises are a big deal!
What is a Promise

Is a commitment and commitments are something we must take seriously
Is not just empty words out of a person's mouth, not meaningless text on a sheet of paper
Promises require schedule and behavior change
Promises demonstrate an affirmation of love, a connection, and a friendship

Are All the Promises in the Bible for Me

While some of the songs we sing and some of the pithy statements we make sound good, they are lousy theology
Some of the promises found in the Bible were made to individuals, nations, and specific situations
God not coming through on a promise He never made will create a problem(s) for us. Therefore, we must interpret promises using the same process we use with all scripture

What About the First Hearers

The Bible never meant what it did not mean to the original hearers, so we must ask ourselves
- What did the first hearers hear and understand
- What is the message that was meant only for the first hearers
- Is there something in the message that applies today to everyone everywhere, at all times (for if it is not valid for all, it is not true for us)

How Do We Steward the Promises of God that Are for Us

James 1:5 promises wisdom for those who ask God for it
1 Cor 10:13 promises a way out of temptation
John 10:28-29 promises that our salvation is secure no matter what
In Hebrews 13:5, God promises to never leave nor forsake us
In Philippians 1:6, we find the promise that He who begun a good work in us will see it to fruition
In Luke 12;40, Jesus promises to come back
These promises are more about who He is than our circumstances; the more we know God’s promises, the stronger the anchor for our soul

We Cannot Steward the Promises of God if We Misuse Them

We misuse God’s promises when we confuse a promise with a principle; promises are 100% true, whereas principles state general truths; the Book of Proverbs is not a book of promises; instead, it is a book of principles
Some promises are conditional based on obedience, don’t ignore the if before the promise
We misuse promises when we try to manipulate God into doing our will rather than His will; Promises are to made to help us grow into His likeness by submitting to His will versus attempting to bend Him to ours

We Cannot Steward the Promises of God if We Don’t Trust Them

God keeps His promises, for He is perfect, and He cannot lie
God is eternal, He never forgets
God is faithful and unchanging
God is all-powerful. He has the ability, unlike man, to keep His promises
He is loving and wants what is best for us, so He will keep His promises

We Must Activate the Promises of God

We do not choose what happens to us, but we do choose how we will respond
Trust is an action, an attitude, a decision; activating the promises of God requires that we exercise our faith muscles which is a two-part process
- Think Bigger, what does God want to come from this
- Start Smaller, Just a little bit of faith
Faith does not move mountains, God does; the question is not how big our faith is but how big our God is

We Must Stand on the Promises of God

Simply stand, placing our lives on the Word of God
Standing on the Promises of Christ my King

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Head

Explain our working definition of stewardship in your own words. “Trusting in the promises of God, to deploy the resources of God, to accomplish the mission of God for the glory of God.”
What is your response to Dr. Long’s statement that the promises of God are supposed to do something and that the character of God is to produce a divine nature in us? How can you make application of this statement in your faith walk?
Share with the group the most significant promise that someone made to you and kept or broke and how that made you feel. Now, share with the group the most significant promise you made to someone a promise that you kept and one which you broke. How it made you and the other person(s) feel. How do all of these scenarios compare to the promises of God that you have experienced?
What are some of the behavior and schedule changes required of a promise keeper?
What does it mean to interpret a promise based on what the first hearers heard and understood? What changes are required of you to apply this methodology?

Heart

Which of the promises that are FOR US do you align with most closely? Which do you align with the least?
When have you applied a general principle with a promise, and what was the outcome? What changes in your theology will you need to make in light of the truths of this sermon?
What changes in your approach to the “mountains” in your life will you make in light of the challenge to Think Bigger and Start Smaller when it comes to applying faith?
What is the great and precious promise God has given us in second Peter to help us become spiritually mature? (2 Peter 1:3-4)
Who has elected us or called us, and what results should the calling make in the life of us as Believers? (2 Peter 1:3-4)
How do you and I benefit from the promises God has given us? (1:4, John 14:16-17)

Hands

Conduct a word study in the Bible on promises and share your findings with this group as a way of iron sharpening iron.

YOUTH & YOUNG ADULT
Head

Explain our working definition of stewardship in your own words. “Trusting in the promises of God, to deploy the resources of God, to accomplish the mission of God for the glory of God.”
What is your response to Dr. Long’s statement that the promises of God are supposed to do something and that the character of God is to produce a divine nature in us? How can you make application of this statement in your faith walk?
Share with the group the most significant promise that someone made to you and kept or broke and how that made you feel. Now, share with the group the most significant promise you made to someone that you kept and one which you broke and how it made you and the other person(s) feel. How do all of these scenarios compare to the promises of God that you have experienced?
What are some of the behavior and schedule changes required of a promise keeper?
What does it mean to interpret a promise based on what the first hearers heard and understood? What changes are required of you to apply this methodology?

Heart

Which of the promises that are FOR US do you align with most closely? Which do you align with the least?
When have you applied a general principle with a promise, and what was the outcome? What changes in your theology will you need to make in light of the truths of this sermon?
What changes in your approach to the “mountains” in your life will you make in light of the challenge to Think Bigger and Start Smaller when it comes to applying faith?
What is the great and precious promise God has given us in second Peter to help us become spiritually mature? (2 Peter 1:3-4)
Who has elected us or called us, and what results should the calling make in the life of us as Believers? (2 Peter 1:3-4)
How do you and I benefit from the promises God has given us? (1:4, John 14:16-17)

Hands